The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday passed without delay to legislation that will force the release of official records associated with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a almost unanimous vote in the lower house and a shift by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. The administration gave in after an extended period of trying to delay the joint action involving a controversy that has followed the president since his return to the White House.
Expedited Approval in Both Chambers
The Senate acted by unanimous consent, which needs acceptance from each senator but avoids a individual voting process, accelerating the process. Hours earlier, the House voted decisively for the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
“The American people have endured sufficient delay. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have waited long enough,” the top Senate Democrat declared in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before asking the chamber to pass it unanimously. “Reveal the truth. Allow openness to prevail.”
Future Action
The bill next will be sent to Donald Trump for his endorsement. The president signaled on Monday that he would endorse the legislation.
Although the president has for months rejected the uproar over the official management of the scandal as a “Democrat hoax”, he voiced approval for the legislation over the past few days, and announced he would give his assent if it comes to him.
Response
Opposition lawmakers, along with survivors of Epstein and their representatives who were present in a House gallery, cheered after the bill was approved. The only opposition came from a GOP representative, who said he worried the measure would disclose identifying details of individuals involved, those under scrutiny and others caught up in the investigation.
Other Stories
- Trump is under fire for referring to a female Bloomberg reporter as ‘piggy’ during a disagreement onboard Air Force One.
- Judge blocks ‘discriminatory’ maps in the state of Texas that allocated GOP more districts.
- Many of Department of Education's responsibilities moved to other federal departments as part of White House efforts.
- Large-scale operations extend to Raleigh, with local officials confirming ongoing activities.
